As is generally known, a thermal transfer type printer applies heat to a thermal transfer ribbon on which dye is applied so that the dye applied on the thermal transfer ribbon is transferred to a recording medium to be settled on the recording medium.
According to thermal transfer methods of dye, such a thermal transfer type printer adopts a sublimation type thermal transfer method that dye is transferred while sublimating or a molten type thermal transfer method that dye is transferred while melting by a thermal print head.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional thermal transfer type printer. In FIG. 1, the thermal transfer type printer includes: a ribbon cartridge 4 which is detachably mounted inside a housing 2 of the printer; and a cassette 20 which is detachably mounted at one side of the printer and on which many sheets of printout paper are loaded.
The ribbon cartridge 4 is a frame in which an ink ribbon 6 is accommodated. A feed reel 8 for releasing the ink ribbon 6 to feed the ink ribbon while printing and a winding reel 10 for winding and recovering the ink ribbon used are disposed inside the ribbon cartridge 4.
Here, in case of the ink ribbon 6, a three-color dye layer of Yellow Y, Magenta M and Cyan C capable of being activated by heat and an overcoat layer for coating are applied on a substrate of a synthetic resin material in order, and a code for identifying colors by a printer is printed at an edge of the ink ribbon 6.
At an upper end portion of the inside of the cassette 20 on which many sheets of printout paper are loaded, a feeder roller 30 is combined to an upper end of a lever 32, of which the lower end is supported inside a main body, in such a way as to be able to elevate vertically.
Moreover, a capstan 34 capable of rotating by a power source (not shown) is mounted inside the feeder roller 32 to be opposed to a pinch roller 36.
In the meantime, a thermal print head (TPH) 38 is fixed and mounted at an upper portion inside the capstan 34 and the pinch roller 36.
Below the thermal print head 38, a platen 40 is combined to an upper end of a lift lever 42 supported inside the main body by a shaft in such a way as to be able to elevate vertically.
In such a printer, when a print command is entered, the lever 32 rotates on a hinge of a lower end in the clockwise direction in order to rotate the feeder roller 30 in the clockwise direction so that the feeder roller 30 comes into contact with the printout paper, and then, a sheet of the printout paper loaded on the cassette 20 is transferred between the capstan 34 and the pinch roller 36.
Just before the printout paper goes to an exit 44 arranged at the opposite side of the cassette 20, transfer of the printout paper 12 is stopped. When the transfer of the printout paper 12 is finished, the lift lever 42 rotates to compress the platen 40 to the thermal print head 38 at a proper pressure in a state where the ink ribbon 6 and the printout paper 12 are interposed between the thermal print head 38 and the platen 40. While the capstan 34, the feed reel 8 and the winding reel 10 rotate, the thermal print head 38 generates heat to start printing of Yellow Y.
When the printing of Yellow Y is finished, the platen 40 lowers, and then, the printout paper moves to the left in the drawing. After that, printing of Magenta M, Cyan C and the coating layer proceeds. When printing is finished, the printout paper is discharged out through the exist 44.
Furthermore, Korean Patent Laid-open No. 10-2007-0090760 discloses a printer device which allows a printing medium to be inserted to and ejected from the front surface side and an ink ribbon cartridge to be inserted to and removed from the front side surface.
However, the conventional printer has several disadvantages in that it is inconvenient in use and management because an ink ribbon and printout paper are mounted separately and in that the printer is restricted in arrangement and use because the printout paper is exposed to the outside of a printer housing.
Additionally, the conventional printer has a further disadvantage in that printing does not proceed if the printout paper which is turned over is inserted because printout paper must be inserted sheet by sheet.
In addition, the conventional printer has another disadvantage in that it may cause burn to a user because a thermal print head is mounted at an upper portion of the printer housing and the thermal print head of high heat is exposed out when an upper cover of the printer housing is opened.